It has been an emotional period for the Phillipsburg Fire Department as one of their own struggled to survive in the hospital.

“It seemed like he was rallying because there was a day they didn’t think he would make it through the night and he made it,” said Lt. Nick Magoteaux with the Phillipsburg Fire Department. “It was giving us real good hope that he was fighting this thing.”

Phillipsburg firefighter Art Springer was hospitalized in early January after he was diagnosed with double pneumonia. Doctors quickly discovered it was caused by the H1N1 virus.

Magoteaux said Springer was taken out of a medically induced coma when doctors discovered they were not able to save him.

“This was truly his passion and he loved every minute of being a firefighter,” said Magoteaux. “We want to make sure we honor him properly.”

The Phillipsburg Fire Department began raising money when Springer was admitted into the hospital.